Milling machines



Nov. 20, 1956 w. F. HucK 2,771,008

MILLING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 25, 1949 United States Patent OMILLING MACHINES william F. Huck, Forest Hals, N. Y., assignor to HuckCo., New York, N. Y., a partnership of New York Original applicationJanuary 2S, 1949, Serial No. 72,631, now Patent No. 2,658,424, datedFebruary 10, 1953. Divided and this applicationNovember 6, 1952, SerialNo. 319,150 p lliClaims. (Cl. 90-20.5)

the type heretofore manufactured, it has been diflicult to remove andaccurately install a new cutter. Therefore one of the primary objects ofthe present invention 'is to provide an assemblage of parts that willform an improved milling machine in which the milling cutter can beeasily removed and a new cutter or the same rel sharpened cutterreplaced in such a manner as to maintain a high degree of accuracy inthe operation of the machine.

Another object of my invention is to produce an improved milling machinethat is capable of rapidly producing flat printing plates that areexactly the same thickness at every point across the plate.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a milling machinefor flat printing plates, in which the milling cutter can be quickly andeasily removed, and accurately replaced. t

Other important objects of my invention will be'apparent from thefollowing description and appended claims.

This patent application is a division of an application tiled by me onJanuary 25, 1949, Serial No. 72,631, 'now Patent No. 2,658,424, issuedFeb. 10, 1953.

A complete understanding of my invention can be obtained from thefollowing description when read in con- `which I have not disclosed willbe constructed in accordance with the prior art teachings.

In the drawings, numeral 10 designates a supporting frame havingvertical side frames 11 and 11', the bottom pedestal of the frame notbeing shown. Frame 10 supports a movable T-shaped bed 12 on a pair ofways 13-13 and between a pair of side guides 15-15, both the ways andthe guides being formed as integral parts of the frame 10.

The bed 12 supports a printing plate P which may n be held to the bed 12by clamps (not shown), and which is prevented from longitudinal movementalong the bed 12 by'a shoulder12a formed on the left end (Fig. 3) of thebed 12. The Ways 13-13 and guides 15-15 Pce allow the bed 12 to be movedin a direction which is at right angles 'to the plane of the drawing inFig. l and to the right or left as indicated by the arrow 16 of Fig. 3.This movement of the bed 12 is obtained by a reversible force, forexample a reversible motor and a suitable contro1,'which forms no partof my present invention and therefore is not disclosed.

The right and left side frames 11 and 11 are provided with verticallydisposed cavities 17 and 17. The cavity 17 is equipped with a pluralityof machine elements including a vertically disposed jack stem 18; a wormgear 19; a worm 21 drivingly `engaging the worm gear 19; a portion of ahorizontally disposed shaft 22, one end of which is rotatably supportedfrom the frame 11 in a bearing 23 and which has' keyed to it the worm21; a

stepped washer 24; coiled spring 26; a bottom cover 27,

which is screw held to the bottom of the frame 11; a vertically disposedadjusting screw 28 with lock nut 29; a side cover 31. The left end(Figs. l and 2) of the shaft 22 carries an operating wheel 30, which isheld to the shaft 22 by the usual key, washer and screw. l ack stem 18has a cylindrical guide portion 32 which is slidably mounted in acylindrical guide hole portion 33 of the cavity 17. Directly above eachguide 32 the stem 18 has an integrally formed rectangular ange head 34.Below lthe guide 32 thestem 18 is externally threaded as at 36 andthereby carries the Worm gear 19 which has appropriate internal threadsfor engaging the threads 36 on the stem 18. Directly below the threads36, the Stem 18 has a reduced cylindrical portion 37, the upper part ofwhich carries the stepped washer 24, and the lower part of which isslidably carried in an internal 'cylindrical guide recess 38 formed inthe upper portion of the cover 27. vThe -coiled spring. 26 surroundsportions of the washer 24 and the cover 27 and provides a lift for thestem 18 by forcing the washer 24 against the bottom of the threadedportion 36.

The side frame 11 is provided with a downfacing thrust bearing surface39, and the spring 26 forces the upper side face 41` of the gear 19against the thrust surface 39. The spring 26`is strong enough tomaintain a firm contact at all times between the upper surface 41 of thegear 19 and the thrust surface 39. l

The cavity 17', and the elements associated therewith is, except forafew features later to be described, identical with the cavity `17 andthe elements associated therewith.' For this reason the cavity 17 andthe elements associated therewith will not be described in detail butthe same elements of both are designated by the same reference numeral,with a prime added, to the numeral associated with cavity 17.

The points wherein the elements of cavity 17' differ from those ofcavity 17 are as follows: First, the two are of opposite hand; second,the cover 31 is provided with a bearing boss 42 which serves torotatably support the shaft 22 and also holds the worm 21 on the shaft,whereas the cover 31' is plain and the worm 21 is held to the shaft 22by a screw 43 and a washer 44; thirdly the washer 24 and therefore thejack stern 18 is supported by one spring 26, whereas the washer 24 Iandthe stem 18 are supported by two concentric springs 26 and 26; fourthly,a pin 46. passes through a hole 47 in the frame 11 and maybe made toenter a hole 48 provided in the worm 21. By loosening the screw 43, theworm 21', for adjustment purposes, may be rotated with respect to theshaft 22. This permits slight vertical adjustment of the jack stem 18'and thereby permits adjusting a cutter 49 presently to be described.

As best seen in Figs. l and 3, a bearing block 51 is held by bolts 52 tothe head 34 of the jack stern 18. The block 51 has a flat bottom surfacethat rests on the top of the head 34 and also has a horizontallydisposed hole 53 bored therethrough. The hole 53 provides a space intowhich is inserted a cylindrical bearing cartridge 54, raving at one endan inturned ilange 56 and at tne other end an outturned flange S7. Thecavity of the cartridge 54 supports the outer race ring of anantifriction ball bearing S, and the front of the bearing cavity `isclosed by a cover 59 having a small diameter collar 61 which enters thebearing cavity of the cartridge 54. The cover 59is also provided with acentrally located axially extending hole 62, a radial flange 63, and anopen faced split ring 64. Bolts 66 (Fig. 3) hold the flange 63 to thellange 57, and bolts 67 hold the cover 59 and the bearing cartridge 54to the bearing block 51. An indicator gage 68 is attached to the cover59 by screws 69 and is pro tected from injury by the ring 64. Theindicator 68 is of conventional form and has a pointer 71 which moveswhen the stem 72 moves in and out of the indicator. The lower end of thestem 72 engages an upper end of a flat headed screw 73 which is threadedinto a lug 74 integral with the frame 11, the screw 73 being held in apredetermined position by a lock nut 76. Thus the gage 68 indicates`when and by how much the bearing block 54 is raised or lowered. It willof course be realized that the indicator could be mounted on the frameand the stem 72 be arranged to engage a lug which moves as the cutter 49is moved. v

The right (as seen in Fig. l) jack stern 18 has a bearing block 51'bolted to it by bolts 52. This block 51' is provided with a horizontallydisposed bore 53 which accommodates the outer race ring of a ball bear iing 58', this ring being held in place by a cover 77 and bolts 78. Anoutwardly extending flange 79 of the block 51 is properly shaped tocarry a stator 81 of a motor, the stator being held in place by screws83. The two infaeing portions of the bearing vblocks 51 and 51 arejoined by a semi-cylindrical guard 84, which prevents accidental contactwith the cutter 49. The guard 84 also acts as a shield to guide flyingchips into a suction hose 86 secured at one end to a hollow extensionformed on the guard 84 and at the other end to suction collectingdevice, not shown.

A cutter supporting shaft 88 is supported on its left (Fig. l) by theinner race ring of the ball bearing 58, and on its right by the innerrace ring of the ball bearing 58. The extreme right end of the shaft 88carries a rotor 89 for the motor stator 81, the rotor being held to theshaft by a key 91, a washer 92 and a bolt 93. A substantially centralportion of the shaft is formed into the shape of a frusto-conical collar94 having a key slot 96, and the portion of the shaft 88 to the left(Fig. l) of the collar 94 is reduced in cross section and is ofcylindrical form. The cutter 49, which may otherwise be of conventionalform, has special cone-shaped holes 97 and 97 at its two ends. Thecutter 49 is centered and carried on the shaft 8S by having theconicalend 97' engage the frusto-conical collar 94 and by having a conicallyshaped sleeve 98, with four slots 99 equally spaced around itscircumference, pressed into the coneshaped hole 97 of the cutter 49. Thesleeve 98 is forced, longitudinally of the shaft 88, by the inner racering of the ball bearing 58, which in turn is forced along the shaft bya washer 101 and a screw 102, the latter being threaded into the end ofthe shaft 88.

The operation of the milling machine described above is as follows.Energization of the electric motor 81-89 causes the shaft 88 and thecutter 49 to rotate, and energization and proper control (not shown) ofa motor (not shown) causes the bed 12 to move from the left to the rightas seen in Fig. 3. Since the plate P is held to the bed 12, the cutter49 will mill the up-facing reverse side of the plate P, it beingunderstood that the obverse side of plate P rests on the bed 12. Thethickness to which the plate P is machined will be indicated by theindicator pointer 71 and can be regulated at will by the operatorturning the wheel 30. Turning the wheel clockwise or counterclockwisecauses worms 21 and 21' to rotate worm gears 19 and 19 respectively,which action causes the threads of the gears 19 and 19' `acting with thethreads 36 and 36 of the jack stems 18 and 18 to raise or lower the jackstems as well as the bearing blocks 51 and 51', and therefore to raiseand lower the bearings SS--58, the shaft 88 and the cutter 49. Thepressure caused by the cutter 49 acting on the plate P causes a cutterpressure reaction on the bearings 58 and 58 which is to the right andupward as seen in Fig. 3. The upward component of this reaction is inthe same direction as the force produced by the heavy springs 26, 26 and26". The strength of the springs is such that the forces produced bythem are far in excess of the forces produced by the weight of thebearings S8 and 58', cutter 49, motor 81-89, etc., and thus the springsprovide a firm preloading of the screw threads 36-36' in the worm gears19 and 19' and assure that the top face of the gears 19 and 19' arealways pressed firmly against the bottom of the thrust surfaces 39 and39' respectively. From this it can be seen that the cutter reactionforces cannot and will not cause a lifting action. Furthermore, once adesired setting has been set, as shown by the indicator 68, thethickness of a plate P being cut will be constant before, during andafter the cutting operation.

If it should become desirable to remove and replace the cutter 49, thiscan be done very rapidly by the following simple operation. First theindicator 68 is removed by removing the screws 69, and then the screws67 are removed thus detaching the bearing cartridge 54 and its cover 59from the blocks 51. Removal of the indicator 68 uncovers the hole 62 inthe cover 59. i Since the hole 62 is in direct line with the head of thescrew 102, the screw can be loosened by the use of a socket wrench (notshown) operating through the hole 68 and engaging a recessed socket inthe screw 102.` As the screw 102 is loosened, its head engages theinside face of the cover 59 and since the cover 59 is held to thebearing cartridge 54 by screws 66, the loosening of the screw 67 `causesthe bearing cartridge 54, the bearing 58 land the cover 59 to move as aunit out of the hole 53 in the block 51. This leaves the ball bearing 58within the cartridge 54 and thus protected from dirt or other injury.

With the hole 53 in the bearing block51 open, the cone shaped sleeve 98is removed and the cutter 49 pulled through the hole 53, while the shaft88 remains in place being held by the right ball bearing 58'.

From the above it is evident that I have provided a novel and greatlyimproved milling machine for milling printing plates. Among otherfeatures it will be noted that I have provided a mounting for 'a rotarymilling cutter that will insure `accurate centering on both ends andwhich at the same time provides for easy removal and replacement of thecutter. It will be further noted that the milling cutter is centered andcarried on the shaft by having conical ends which engage frusto-conicalcollars. Also the one antifriction bearing which must be removed toreplace the cutter, may be removed without exposing it to dirt and dust.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

l. In a milling machine especially adapted for machining the reverseside of a at printing plate, a milling cutter, a bearing-shaft means forsupporting at least a part of the weight of said milling cutter, abearing cartridge means enclosing said bearing-shaft means, a screwthreaded member carried by one of said means and adjustably arranged toengage the other of said means, whereby said bearing cartridge means canbe removed as a unit.

2. In a milling machine especially adapted for machining the reverseside of a at printing plate, support means; a rst bearing block,apertured by a horizontally disposed hole and held to said supportmeans; a hollow cylindrical bearing cartridge carried in said hole; an

larranque .antifriction bearing supported in said cartridge; a secondbearing block apertured by a horizontally disposeduhole and held to saidsupports; 'an antifriction bearingv supported in said second bearingblock; a shaft supported by said two antifriction bearings; a motordriving said` shaft; and a milling cutter carried'by saidshaft ataposition between said two antifriction bea-rings,"`the outside diameterof said milling cutter being less than the inside diameter of the holein one of said bearing blocks.

3. A milling machine in accordance with claim 2 in which the millingcutter has a bore with one end frustoconical and in which the shaft hasa frusto-conical collar engaging the frusto-conical portion of the bore.

4. In a milling machine especially adapted for machining the reverseside of a at printing plate, support means; a first bearing block,apertured by a horizontally disposed hole and |held to said supportmeans; a hollow cylindrical bearing cartridge carried in said hole; anantifriction bearing supported in said cartridge; a second bearing blockapertured by a horizontally disposed hole and held to said supports; anantifriction bearing supported in said second bearing block; a motorstator secured to said second bearing block; a rotor for said motorstator; a

shaft supported by said two .antifriction bearings; means for carryingthe said rotor on one end of said shaft; and a milling cutter carried bysaid shaft.

5. In a milling machine especially adapted for maohining the reverseside of a at printing plate, support means; a first bearing block,apertured by a horizontally disposed hole and held to said supportmeans; a hollow cylindrical bearing cartridge carried in said hole; aninturned ange on one end of said cartridge; an outturned flange on theother end of said cartridge; an antifriction bearing supported in saidcartridge; a second bearing block apertured by a horizontally disposedhole and held to said supports; an antifriction bearing supported insaid second bearing block; a motor stator secured to said second bearingblock; a rotor for said stator; a shaft supported by the twoantifriction bearings; means for carrying the said rotor on one end ofsaid shaft; and a milling cutter carried by said shaft at a positionbetween said two antifriction bearings.

6. Ina milling machine especially adapted for machining the reverse sideof a flat printing plate, a pair of uplstanding spaced supports; :a rstbearing block, which is apertured by a horizontally disposed hole andheld to lthe upper end of one of said supports; a hollow cylindricalbearing cartridge carried in said hole; an inturned ilange on one end ofsaid cartridge; an outturned flange on the other end of said cartridge;an lantifriction bearing supported in said cartridge; a cover for saidcartridge, said cover having 'a centrally located hole and a radialflange and the collar entering the cartridge; a second bea-ring blockwhich is apertured by a horizontally disposed `hole and held to theupper end of the said supports; an antifriction bearing supported insaid second bearing block; a cover for said second bearing block, saidcover having a centrally located hole, a Icollar portion, and a radialflange, the collar portion entering said second bearing block; a motorstator secured to said second bearing block; a rotor for said stator, ashaft supported by said two antifriction bearings; a motor driving saidshaft; and a milling cutter carried by said lshaft at a position betweensaid two antifriction bearings.

7. In a milling machine especially adapted for machining the reverseside of a flat printing plate, a pair of upstanding `spaced supports; afirst bearing block, which is apertured by a horizontally disposed holeand held to the upper end of one of said supports; 'a hollow cylindricalbearing cartridge carried in said hole; an inturned ange on one end ofsaid cartridge; an outturned flange on the other end of sai-d cartridge;an antifriction bearing supported in said cartridge; a cover for saidcartridge, said cover having a centrally located hole and a radialflange and the collar entering the cartridge; bolts fastening the flangeyof vthe cover to theoutturnedvflange ofthe said cartridge; a secondbearing' block which is aperturedby a 'horizontally disposed hole andheld yto the upper end of the said supports; anf ,antifriction bearingsupported in said second bearing block; af cover for said second bearingblock, said cover having acentrally located hole, a collar portion,yand, aI radial Vtlange, the collar portion entering said ysecondbearing block; bolts fastening the last named radial flangeto saidsecondbearing block; a motor stator secured to said second bearingblock; a rotorfor said stator; a shaft supported by the two antifrictionbearings; means for carrying the said rotor on one end of said shaft;and a milling cutter carried by said shaft at a position between saidtwo antifriction bearings.

8. In a milling machine especially adapted for machining the reverseside of a at printing plate, a frame, a bed horizontally movable withrespect to said frame and adapted to support a plate, a shaft, a millingcutter mounted on said shaft, an anti-friction bearing mounted on oneend of said shaft, a second anti-friction bearing mounted on the otherend of said shaft, mechanism for adjustably supporting saidanti-friction bearings from said frame, a bearing cartridge enclosurehousing one of said bearings and one end of said shaft, said enclosurebeing provided with a hole, and a screw threaded into the end of theshaft located within said enclosure, said screw being accessiblyengageable through said hole in said enclosure, whereby when said screwis turned it engages said enclosure thereby removing said anti-frictionbear ing and said enclosure from the end of said shaft.

9. In a milling machine especially adapted for machining the reverseside of a flat printing plate, a frame, a bed horizontally movable withrespect to said frame and adapted to support a plate, a shaft, a millingcutter.

mounted on said shaft, an anti-friction bearing mounted on one end ofsaid shaft, a second anti-friction bearing mounted on the other end ofsaid shaft, mechanism for adjustably supporting said anti-frictionbearings from said frame, a bearing cartridge enclosure housing one ofsaid bearings and one end of said shaft, said enclosure being providedwith a hole, and a screw threaded into the end of the shaft locatedwithinsaid enclosure, said screw having a head that is larger than thehole in said enclosure, said screw being in line with and thusaccessibly engageable through said hole in said enclosure, whereby whensaid screw is turned it engages said enclosure thereby removing saidanti-friction bearing and said enclosure from the end of said shaft.

10. In a milling machine especially adapted for machining the reverseside of a flat printing plate, a frame, a bed horizontally movable withrespect to said frame and adapted to support a plate, a shaft, one endof which is provided with a coaxally threaded hole, a milling cuttermounted on said shaft, an anti-friction bearing mounted on one end ofsaid shaft, a second anti-friction bearing mounted on the other end ofsaid shaft, mechanism for adjustably supporting said anti-frictionbearings from said frame, a bearing enclosure housing one of saidbearings and the end of said shaft which is provided with said threadedhole, said enclosure being provided with a hole which is coaxiallylocated with respect to said threaded hole in said shaft, 'and a screwhaving a head larger than said hole in said enclosure and'threaded intosaid threaded hole in said shaft whereby said screw is accessiblyengageable through said hole in said enclosure, and whereby when saidscrew is turned the large head of the screw engages the hole in saidenclosure thereby removing said anti-friction bearing and said enclosurefrom the end of said shaft.

l1. In a milling machine especially adapted for machining the reverseside of a flat printing plate, a milling cutter, a bearing-shaft meansfor supporting at least a part of the weight of said milling cutter, abearing cartridge means enclosing said bearing-shaft means, a screwthreaded member the axis of which is parallel to the axis A7 of Saidbearing-shaft` means, said screw threaded member being carried by one ofsaid means and adjustably arranged to engage the other of said means,whereby said bearing cartridge means can be removed as a unit.

References Cited in-the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS633,798 Carley Septf26, 1899 8 "Howard Jan. 1, 1924 Lofste'dt Dec.`15,1936 Jereezek Jan. 31, 1939 lCurle et al. May 1, 1945 Maier Jan. 4, 1949`Huc1: Nov. 10, 1953

